White artifacts (eg dots) introduced to the video when previewed and exported, same effect in melt

[Dan Forster]

1) OS: Ubuntu 10.04 ReleaseCandidate (the beta release just before LTS).
2) Installed using Ubuntu Software Centre
3) Version of OpenShot = 1.1.3

Files in a particular format (a type of mpg) that I am trying to edit all seem to have white artifacts (e.g. dots/lines) introduced around very dark/black areas of the frame when previewed in OpenShot - these artifacts also persist in the exported video from OpenShot. I have played the (unprocessed) video in melt however, and it has the same effect there too, so looks like an issue with MLT? These artifacts are _not_ present when the original (unedited) video is played using (e.g.) Totem.

I have attached a sample from the first 10 seconds of exported video from OpenShot that shows the white artifacts. These artifacts can be seen in the dark areas of the frame in the lower-right 'quadrant', around the tyres and the black trousers of the woman. I am not sure if I can add another attachment with the original video on?

Here is the info about the original full length file from FFMPEG:
$ ffmpeg -i MOV01988.MPG
FFmpeg version SVN-r0.5.1-4:0.5.1-1ubuntu1, Copyright (c) 2000-2009 Fabrice Bellard, et al.
  configuration: --extra-version=4:0.5.1-1ubuntu1 --prefix=/usr --enable-avfilter --enable-avfilter-lavf --enable-vdpau --enable-bzlib --enable-libgsm --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-pthreads --enable-zlib --disable-stripping --disable-vhook --enable-runtime-cpudetect --enable-gpl --enable-postproc --enable-swscale --enable-x11grab --enable-libdc1394 --enable-shared --disable-static
  libavutil 49.15. 0 / 49.15. 0
  libavcodec 52.20. 1 / 52.20. 1
  libavformat 52.31. 0 / 52.31. 0
  libavdevice 52. 1. 0 / 52. 1. 0
  libavfilter 0. 4. 0 / 0. 4. 0
  libswscale 0. 7. 1 / 0. 7. 1
  libpostproc 51. 2. 0 / 51. 2. 0
  built on Mar 4 2010 12:41:55, gcc: 4.4.3
[mpeg @ 0x248d480]invalid dts/pts combination
    Last message repeated 46 times
Input #0, mpeg, from 'MOV01988.MPG':
  Duration: 00:01:24.16, start: 0.110000, bitrate: 2915 kb/s
    Stream #0.0[0x1c0]: Audio: mp2, 32000 Hz, mono, s16, 64 kb/s
    Stream #0.1[0x1e0]: Video: mpeg1video, yuv420p, 640x480 [PAR 1:1 DAR 4:3], 104857 kb/s, 25 tbr, 90k tbn, 25 tbc

[Dan Forster (sm0ked0g)]

Attached is a sample from the original (unedited) file that has been cut down to 10 seconds using ffmpeg and direct copy:
$ ffmpeg -i MOV01988.MPG -t 10 -vcodec copy -acodec copy mov1988-orig-10s.mpg

You can hopefully see from this (if played in Totem Movie Player or previewed in PiTiVi) that the artifacts in my original post above are not present.

[Dan Forster (sm0ked0g)]

I have also just discovered that if I concert the original file to a completely different format/container (libxvid/avi) the same thing happens. The artifacts are still present. This seems to not be limited to just mpg.

I converted the original file using ffmpeg as follows:
$ ffmpeg -i MOV01988.MPG -t 10 -acodec copy -vcodec libxvid -b 2000k -f avi MOV01988.2klibxvid-10s.avi

The problem is, if I open the full-length converted avi (about 1min30s converted using the above command) in OpenShot and preview it, I get the same artifacts as in my original post. If I limit the ffmpeg output to 10 seconds, and then open the resulting file in OpenShot (attached) and preview it I get a (pretty much) completely white screen apart from a couple of frames that show the picture...

Here is the info of the resulting video from ffmpeg:
$ ffmpeg -i MOV01988.2klibxvid-10s.avi
FFmpeg version SVN-r0.5.1-4:0.5.1-1ubuntu1, Copyright (c) 2000-2009 Fabrice Bellard, et al.
  configuration: --extra-version=4:0.5.1-1ubuntu1 --prefix=/usr --enable-avfilter --enable-avfilter-lavf --enable-vdpau --enable-bzlib --enable-libgsm --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libvorbis --enable-pthreads --enable-zlib --disable-stripping --disable-vhook --enable-runtime-cpudetect --enable-gpl --enable-postproc --enable-swscale --enable-x11grab --enable-libdc1394 --enable-shared --disable-static
  libavutil 49.15. 0 / 49.15. 0
  libavcodec 52.20. 1 / 52.20. 1
  libavformat 52.31. 0 / 52.31. 0
  libavdevice 52. 1. 0 / 52. 1. 0
  libavfilter 0. 4. 0 / 0. 4. 0
  libswscale 0. 7. 1 / 0. 7. 1
  libpostproc 51. 2. 0 / 51. 2. 0
  built on Mar 4 2010 12:41:55, gcc: 4.4.3
Input #0, avi, from 'MOV01988.2klibxvid-10s.avi':
  Duration: 00:00:10.08, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 2579 kb/s
    Stream #0.0: Video: mpeg4, yuv420p, 640x480 [PAR 1:1 DAR 4:3], 25 tbr, 25 tbn, 25 tbc
    Stream #0.1: Audio: mp2, 32000 Hz, mono, s16, 64 kb/s
At least one output file must be specified

I am not having much luck here.... :(

[Dan Forster (sm0ked0g)]

I meant convert* not concert

:)

[Olivier Girard (eolinwen)]

It seems than you have a problem with mlt. If you have a problem with melt and not with ffplay, it is confirmed this is. Normally, it is the version 0.5.4 ?? You should report this bug at the mlt list. Thanks

[Andy Finch (fincha)]

There is a bug logged about this at the MLT bug tracker - can I suggest you add to that report, to help the MLT team track down the problem?

http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?func=detail&aid=2972137&group_id=96039&atid=613414

[Giorgio M. (motolo79)]

After installing Ubuntu 10.04 with last openshot's version (1.1.3), i found this bug: in preview and after conversion there are white artifacts in video.
I think it's a problem with version 0.5.4 of MLT.
This problem is also present in Kdenlive.
Thanks...

[Dan Forster (sm0ked0g)]

Confirmed. I managed to build 0.5.5 of MLT and this problem has gone away. Thanks

[Giorgio M. (motolo79)]

Dan,
how do you compile mlt? I have an error with libavformat.so in compiling. I have compiled mlt many times but i have the same error.

[Olivier Girard (eolinwen)]

When you have the last version of mlt by :
http://mltframework.org/mlt.git
you go to by:
cd mlt
after you launch your configure script (but you have remove your old version of mlt before) by :
./configure --prefix=/usr --enable-gpl --qimage-libdir=/usr/lib/ --qimage-includedir=/udr/include/qt4 --avformat-swscale
after you look well what i said you and you install what i want (under dv1394) and after you relaunch this script ,i no message so make and after sudo make install.
I hope that will be useful for you.

[Dan Forster (sm0ked0g)]

I am not sure whether the below is the "correct" way of doing it all, but I will show you what I did:

First get all the below:
sudo apt-get install x264 ffmpeg python python-xdg python-gtk2 python-glade2 python-pygoocanvas libgoocanvas3 libgoocanvas-common python-mlt2 melt libmlt2 libmlt-data libmlt++3 frei0r-plugins libsox-dev libjack-dev ladspa-sdk libxml2-dev libsdl-dev libsdlimage-dev

Also get the latest git commit:
git clone git://mltframework.org/mlt.git

then untar the file you got from git and cd to the directory where the configure file is.

then do this:
./configure --prefix=/usr --enable-gpl --qimage-libdir=/usr/lib/ --qimage-includedir=/udr/include/qt4 --avformat-swscale

then:
make

then:
sudo make install

Hope this helps.

[Dan Forster (sm0ked0g)]

sorry there is a typo in the above, in the configure command it should be:
includedir=/usr/include/qt4

so the full configure command:
./configure --prefix=/usr --enable-gpl --qimage-libdir=/usr/lib/ --qimage-includedir=/usr/include/qt4 --avformat-swscale

[Olivier Girard (eolinwen)]

yes and just one precision. Don't forget to install before the dev version for exemple x264 and x264-dev. In all cases, the script ./configure tells you if something is missing.
Thanks

[Dan Forster (sm0ked0g)]

Giorgio: there is an easier way to get the dependencies for mlt and build it. Here is what I just tried:

cd ~
sudo apt-get build-dep mlt
git clone git://mltframework.org/mlt.git
tar -xvf mlt.git-<<your version number-press tab here>>
cd mltframework.org/mlt.git
./configure --prefix=/usr --enable-gpl --qimage-libdir=/usr/lib/ --qimage-includedir=/usr/include/qt4 --avformat-swscale
make
sudo make install

now if you do:
melt -version

you should hopefully have the new version.
Hope this helps.

[Giorgio M. (motolo79)]

Thank you for your time, Dan. I will use this method and hopefully good:)

[Giorgio M. (motolo79)]

Success!!!
 I have compiled mlt but with a little problem: sdl, coca... not compile. I deleted the folder called sdl and recompiled...perfect after sudo make install.
Before i have installed the mlt 0.5.4.1 and overwritten with the 0.5.5 version: Perfect.

[Aurélien Gâteau (agateau)]

I built mlt packages from today git. They are available in my ppa: https://launchpad.net/~agateau/+archive/ppa/

[Andy Finch (fincha)]

@Aurélien Gâteau - Thanks for making that available.

[Olivier Girard (eolinwen)]

@Aurelien Gâteau - Thanks a lot - Great men for this part essential of this project.
Merci beaucoup, on est tellement tributaire de ce framework et la compilation est tellement triviale que les utilisateurs n'osent pas se lancer.
@+Olivier

[Aurion (aurion-br)]

Thanks a bunch!!!!!!!

[dave booth (davidleebooth)]

I have had this bug for a while, i installed the new melt as provided by @Aurélien Gâteau but when i open up openshot in the terminal i get this error message:
--------------------------------
   OpenShot (version 1.1.3)
--------------------------------
Process no longer exists: 5598. Creating new pid lock file.
A new frmMain has been created
No formats or codecs were found. Please check the OpenShot preferences and configure the 'melt' command name.
state saved
Segmentation fault

I am new to ubuntu and still learning, any help would be appreciated :)

[Olivier Girard (eolinwen)]

Hi dave booth,
Have you installed all the dependencies like here ( http://openshotusers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=372), Think to take the Medibuntu version of FFmpeg., https://answers.launchpad.net/openshot/+faq/1040, http://openshotusers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=512&start=0 ?
Check and if no do it. (See the edit note too)